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Last edited 13 Aug 2023

Types of hall

A hall normally refers to a large space or meeting room, it may also describe a large residence but might also used as the shortened version of hallway. A hallway (sometime hall for short) previously described the passageway leading to the main room of the building, similar to a corridor, also referred to as a gallery (though this may be at a higher level and open on one side). Today the term hall is used to describe a variety of covered interior spaces used for a variety or purposes, some examples of which are given below.

[edit] Arrivals hall

An arrivals hall usually refers to the area of an airport terminal that is reserved for the arrival of passengers, once they have passed through the various border controls. Normally a collection point.

[edit] Assembly hall

An assembly hall is a generic term for any large meeting space, normally used for formal meetings such as for example the United Nations Assembly hall.

[edit] Ball hall

A ball hall is traditionally a large room in a upper class residence reserved for formal balls or dances.

[edit] Baronial hall

Baronial hall is a term from Medieval and Renaissance times used to describe the central space in a manor house or castle, also called the Great Hall, used for ceremonial occasions.

[edit] Banquet hall

A banquet hall is traditionally a large space in and formal residence, manor or castle.

[edit] Billiard hall

A Billiard hall is simply a room set aside for games, normally with a number of different tables and consecutive games.

[edit] City hall

City hall refers to an administrative building for municipal government, such as London city hall, a purpose built building in Southwark which served as the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) until the end of 2021 when city hall was relocated to the Crystal in the Royal Victoria Docks area of East London.

[edit] Community hall

A community hall, is a space used for meetings and gatherings of residents of a certain area, it is the equivalent of a village hall in rural areas, often combined with other uses such as a social space, bar and sports or activity area.

[edit] Concert hall

A concert hall is a building or a large room within a building designed to house concerts, often of classical music but not exclusively. One of the best known concert halls in the UK is the Royal Albert Hall, concert hall located in the City of Westminster, London, also a major London landmark.

[edit] Conference hall

A conference hall is a room, usually fairly large which provides space for business conferences or meetings with a significant number of people, it serves the same function as a conference room designed to accommodate a fewer number of people, usually around a table or stage often with presentation and audio visual equipment.

[edit] Convention hall (or centre)

A convention hall (also called a convention centre) is a large, often, multi-purpose space, usually with reduced structural columns designed to house business exhibitions, events, meetings and conferences. The term is usually used in the US, whilst exhibition hall is usually used in the UK.

[edit] Dance hall

A dance hall is a large space or building accommodating large groups of people wishing to listen to music and dance or in some cases watch performances of the same.

[edit] Departures hall

Departures hall, usually refers to the area of an airport terminal that is reserved for departing passengers and outgoing flights, trains or ferries.

[edit] Dining hall

A dining hall is traditionally a relatively large space, often with a long table for fine dining, the term may also be used to describe a cafeteria in for example a school building where students are served and eat lunch.

[edit] Entrance hall

The entrance hall or lobby is the initial space when entering a building, often where outside coats, jackets, shoes, umbrellas etc are stored.

[edit] Exhibition hall

Exhibition hall - a large, often, multi-purpose space, usually with reduced structural columns designed to house business exhibitions, events, meetings and conferences. The term is usually used in the UK, whilst convention hall or convention centre is usually used in the US and Canada, to mean the same.

[edit] Food hall

A food hall is a covered outdoor space or building with a series of stalls or stands selling different types of foods and drank, it may also be a covered space selling other items and referred to as a market hall.

[edit] Games hall

A games hall is simply a room set aside for games, normally with a variety of consecutive games.

[edit] Great hall

Great hall is a term from Medieval and Renaissance times used to describe the central space in a manor house or castle, also referred to as a baronial hall, used for ceremonial occasions.

[edit] Hall (hallway)

A hallway (sometime hall for short) previously described the passageway leading to the main room of the building, similar to a corridor, also referred to as a gallery (though this may be at a higher level and open on one side).

[edit] Market hall

A market hall is a covered outdoor space or building with a series of stalls or stands selling different items including foods (also called Food hall).

[edit] Moot hall

A moot hall is a type of assembly hall or meeting space, the terms itself being an old English word meaning an assembly. Originally in Anglo-Saxon England, these were dug earthwork rings, sunken slightly into the ground, where local people would meet and discuss local affairs and decision making.

[edit] Music hall

Music hall described a type of theatre entertainment and the building housing it, which was very popular during the early Victorian period. The first purpose built music hall is said to have been Canterbury Hall in Lambeth, which opened in 1852, with a capacity for 700 people, seated at tables, and served food and drink during the musical performance. Music halls continued through the 1900's, with the last surviving until around 1960, they were in many respects replaced by variety theatre, housed in more formal buildings in Edwardian times known as empires, palaces, coliseums and hippodromes.

[edit] Pool hall

A pool hall is simply a room set aside for games, normally with a number of different tables and consecutive games.

[edit] Prayer hall

A prayer hall is a large hall used for worship, it is commonly associated with Islam and is often the main space within a mosque. Traditionally the space is male only with women normally worshipping on a balcony at the back of the prayer hall.

[edit] Residence hall (hall of residence)

Residence halls are buildings with individual rooms or apartments, often with shared toilets and kitchens, they are usually built by universities or colleges, for students to live during the academic year. In the UK residence halls are normally referred to as halls of residence.

[edit] Town hall

A Town hall is a building that is used for the administration of local government, often housed in Victorian buildings though in more recent years many towns have reconciled various historical workspaces into newer more efficient spaces.

[edit] Trading hall

A trading hall refers to a purpose built space used for the trading of stocks and shares such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's Trading Hall.

[edit] Sports hall

A sports all is usually a large high ceiling space, equipped to play a variety of different sports undercover. They are often a part of a larger school, college, university or community facility. There is specific design guidance for multpurpose halls, indicating the best floor plan size, layout and ceiling height to allow a variety of sports to be played within the same space.

[edit] Swimming hall

A swimming hall is simply the hall that is built to house a swimming pool.

[edit] Village hall

A village hall, sometimes referred to as a community hall is usually a simple building used for the administration of a village, often combined with other uses such as a social space, bar and sports area.